Good News If You <3 NPR

After a soft launch with staff and local stations a few weeks ago, NPR is releasing it’s first Facebook app. It’s called “I <3 NPR.”

The app “represents a light-hearted and fun way for NPR lovers to engage with NPR content and identify themselves within a larger pool of fans across the country.” The main focus of the new app is an interactive map. Users can associate themselves with their favorite NPR station and see which stations their friends listen to.

The app also comes with games: a trivia quiz and a game called “Name That Theme Song.” Winners can score “virtual tote bags” (as in a picture) though those don’t sound too useful. If these two games aren’t enough for you, encourage friends to link up with the app; NPR will release a new game when 100,000 users fan the page, and another game when the app hits 200,000 users.

If NPR’s history with social media is any indication, the new Facebook app should be a success. NPR’s iPad app, among the top ranked news apps, just got its millionth download in the year since it launched.